


The visit

by hagstrom



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Brotherhood, Gen, Insomnia, Mental Health Issues, Past Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2012-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:09:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25104469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hagstrom/pseuds/hagstrom
Summary: It was well past midnight and the window of 221B was radiating the expected yellow light. He decided that a quick visit wouldn’t go amiss and ordered the cabbie to stop.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Kudos: 1
Collections: Watson's Woes JWP Entries: 2012





	The visit

Mycroft is not a man who enjoys the company of others, hence the great reason of the Diogenes Club.

On his way back of an errant he had to perform personally, for there were some matters too delicate to be handed over to someone else, he passed over Baker Street. It was well past midnight and the window of 221B was radiating the expected yellow light. He decided that a quick visit wouldn’t go amiss and ordered the cabbie to stop.

Mycroft was genuinely and unexpectedly curious as to why his brother had decided that the Doctor’s presence was agreeable at all times when up until that meeting, he couldn’t bear to be with any other human being for more than two hours since he was a schoolboy.

He was received properly of course, and soon was sitting by the fire, chatting quietly with his brother over some monograph though he could sense the detective was both surprise and suspicious of this visit. The doctor, after giving the proper greeting and providing him with the scotch now warming in his hand, excuse himself and went to sit at his desk and soon after was lost into the writing of the next Strand adventure. Mycroft looked at the ex-soldier more carefully and noticed something that could explain those unnatural and fresh lines of worry on his brother’s face. He turned to look at Sherlock and the detective warned him with those grey eyes, menacing coldness lurking behind.

Ah, so they are not facing the problem. Yet.

Perhaps all they need is a little push and so Mycroft wondered aloud if the Doctor knew how Sherlock came to have that aquiline nose. However and luckily for Mycroft, Watson was too engrossed over his efforts to make a decent story that he missed whatever was said between the Holmes. Sherlock got up to refill his pipe but not before giving him a nasty look and a mouthed “Don’t”.

Mycroft empties the tumbler and remembers.

Those winter vacations remain in his brain for two quite different reasons; the first being it was the first anniversary of Mother’s death and Father was finding difficult to control both the drinking habit and bad moods, up to the point of losing control and hitting Sherlock with unchecked force, for having tipped over and broken their mother’s favorite vase. The little green chips of expensive porcelain were strewn all over the carpet and suddenly Father looked at Sherlock with cold calmness. His little brother was thirteen years old at the time and although quite tall and lean he didn’t had much of his actual agility or grace to dodge punches. Mycroft didn’t make it on time for saving Sherlock the broken nose.  
  
  
"He's having daily nightmares Mycroft. About his wife, the war and myself, about my "death". Teas and powders stop helping long ago and he had spent more hours awake than myself this week." Sherlock said, covering his face with both hands, in a rare gesture of desperation, as soon as his friend ascended the stairs to his room. "He doesn't tell me about it but I can already see him withering away with each day"  
  
"Have you tried tal..."  
  
"Yes yes brother, I may not be the most intelligent man in the British Empire but the Doctor is an exceptionally hermetic man when he wants to be!"  
  
"Drink with him then" recommended Mycroft  
  
"What? Haven't you been listening tha..."  
  
"No you idiot. Disguise yourself as some ex-soldier or someone he can relate to and drink with him. Find out what is exacerbating all of those memories and do your best to correct the situation. If that doesn't work, we'll think of some other plan" - At this Sherlock looked intrigued but Mycroft answered before he had a chance of even asking - "Whoever is accepted for friendship from the likes of you is certaintly worth the effort.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________  
  
I'm sure there's something there I'm missing  
Still, hope you enjoy!

**Author's Note:**

> I think I'm rewriting this one soon...


End file.
